THE MIGRATIONS OF CHIMMRA MONSTROSA 15 



north of Scotland. It will probably be found, if examined, 

 that they are either spent or immature. 



But when all this is said it does not explain the presence 

 in winter, in small but significant numbers, of Chimaera in 

 the neighbourhood of the Norwegian Deep. It is known 

 that in addition to spawning along the continental slope and 

 plateau, Chimaera spawns to some extent on the coast 

 of Norway in comparatively shallow water. Professor 

 Thompson draws attention to the older accounts of the 

 occurrence of ripe fish and the finding of eggs in this region. 

 To this I may add that Nordgaard 1 recorded the taking of 

 newly spawned eggs in April and August in Trondhjem 

 Fjord. From these discoveries we may conclude that the 

 spawning season extends from January or February to 

 August. If this be the case also in the Atlantic then it is 

 evident that the spawners begin their migration in winter. 

 Does this explain the presence of Chimaera towards the end 

 and the beginning of the year off the coast of Norway? If 

 it does then the gonads ought to be found to be ripe or 

 approaching that condition. 



On the other hand, has Chimaera been successful in 

 establishing a small school in the north North Sea, a school 

 which spawns along the south-west coast of Norway and 

 winters in the region under consideration ? If this is the 

 fact then an examination ought to show that the specimens 

 are immature and recovering spent fish. The absence of the 

 young from the region is against such a supposition, but the 

 fact that empty egg cases were got by Nordgaard in August 

 points to their presence, and Professor Thompson mentions 

 a young female captured by the Goldseeker in the north 

 North Sea. Even if it be found that a school has been 

 or is being established, it is more than probable that 

 Atlantic spawners will be able to visit the region as their 

 predecessors did. 



In conclusion I would like to say that the records 



collected and published by Professor Thompson are very 



valuable. Had Chimaera been restricted to the region from 



which the specimens were taken no one would have 



1 19 1 7 Meddelelse fra Trondhjems Biol. Stat., No. 10, p. 23. 



